Three Questions with Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Paul Hoynes

I’ve taken a brief hiatus from the three questions, so to make up for that, I’ll expand it to five questions with longtime Indians beat reporter Paul Hoynes.

Last July, Paul and I were fortunate enough to be two of the three official scorers for the All-Star Game at AT&T Park. Paul was gracious enough to allow me to intone into the press box microphone: “Attention media, that was inside-the-park home run No.1 for Ichiro Suzuki. Home run No.1.”

Here are his thoughts on the Indians’ offensive blackout, the C.C. sweepstakes and the pull that Omar Vizquel still has on Cleveland:

Q: Many people expected the Indians to be offensive juggernauts again this year. What happened?

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A: The short answer is they’ve been terrible. They’ve had injuries to their 3-4 hitters, Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner. Finally, wisely, the team put both of them on the disabled list. Hafner hurt his right shoulder in the spring and we didn’t find out about it until April. Martinez pulled a hamstring in the season opener and wasn’t the same, then he hurt his elbow, which they kept hidden until May. Trying to have them play through injuries and stay in the lineup didn’t help the team. They should have gone on the DL earlier than they did.

Q: It sure seems C.C. Sabathia will be the hottest name at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. Will the Indians move him?
A: I think he’s going to get traded. This team isn’t going to change. It is what it is. They’re having trouble scoring three runs a game. They’re not going to win this division with him. They just don’t have enough offense, so it does them no good to keep him. They’ll take a run at re-signing him this winter regardless of where he’s traded, but the chances of him re-signing are very small.

(As an aside, imagine if a team like the Red Sox trades for Sabathia, and he does happen to sign a new contract with the Indians this winter. Seems unfair, but Cleveland would have to give up a compensatory draft pick just to get their own player back!)

Q: It was tough for Jhonny Peralta to live up to expectations after Omar Vizquel left following the 2004 season. Now that we’re a few years removed, is Peralta still held to a higher standard because of the man he replaced?
A: He still has to deal with that. It’s been tough for him and almost unfair. Any shorstop who followed Vizquel in Cleveland would be like a third baseman following Brooks Robinson in Baltimore. You’ll definitely suffer in comparison. They’re different shortstops. Peralta can hit 25 home runs a year, but nobody can make the plays Omar makes. People here are spoiled by Omar. They watched him do everything. When Peralta doesn’t hit, his defensive shortcomings are obvious and people rip him for it. But he’s still a solid shorstop as long as he’s hitting.

Q: Is Vizquel a Hall of Famer?
A: Oh yeah, I think defintiely. I don’t know if he gets in on the first ballot, but he should be in there. I’ll vote for him first ballot. I never enjoyed watching a player more than Omar. I just love the way he plays, the way he enjoys the game, the plays he makes and he’s also a very underrated clutch hitter. When he and Robby Alomar were here, they were worth the price of admission. The team had All-Stars at every position but they were the ones you paid to see.

Q: I have to wonder if Omar will have trouble getting in. You almost needed to see him play everyday to really appreciate what he’s all about. Do you agree?
A: Yeah, you did, and that’s why I was glad he went to the National League so writers could appreciate him and see how good and how special he is. I know the Giants didn’t get to the postseason, but he won two Gold Gloves and had a couple of good years offensively. I think that was the best thing for Omar. It’ll help his candidacy, which is good because he belongs there.

Andrew Baggarly

Andrew Baggarly has witnessed and documented the most eventful era in San Francisco Giants baseball history, having covered the team since 2004 for th​ree major media outlets including the San Jose Mercury News and the Oakland Tribune​. This will be his 20th season as a baseball writer.
​Baggarly is the author of the bestselling book, A Band of Misfits: Tales of the 2010 San Francisco Giants. A second title, Giant Splash, is due to be published by Triumph Books in April 2015.
Baggarly’s other notable life accomplishments include running as the Bratwurst in the Milwaukee Sausage Race and becoming a three-time Jeopardy! champion.

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If Omar gets to speak on the podium in Cooperstown, will Jose Mesa, the pitcher Vizquel blamed for blowing the 1997 World Series, be invited to the ceremony?

Jim from Concord

Paul just think about it. Couldn’t the Indians have a starting foursome of
Sabathia, Lee, Carmona, and Pavano !!!! wow it wouldn’t matter who was hitting with that foursome.

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